The present invention relates generally to vehicles and, more particularly, to vehicle interior trim articles.
It is generally desirable for vehicle interior articles, such as floor coverings, instrument panel skins, door panel skins, consoles, and pillars, etc., to have an attractive appearance, to maintain their shape and resist wear over long periods of use, and to provide sound absorption within a vehicle interior. In addition, due to increasing federal environmental regulations and decreasing availability of landfill space, there is increased interest in recycling post-consumer products such as vehicle interior trim panels. Unfortunately, many conventional vehicle interior articles are formed from non-recyclable materials such as thermosetting resins, which cannot be re-melted and reused.
Thus, there is a need for recyclable vehicle interior articles that have durable, tough surfaces, that are impervious to water and most chemicals, and that are designed to be scratch and mar resistant. In addition, there is a need for recyclable vehicle interior articles that can reduce external noises (e.g., road noise, engine noise, vibrations, etc.), as well as noises emanating from within passenger compartments, while also being lightweight and low in cost.
In view of the above discussion, recyclable vehicle interior articles for use in a variety of interior trim applications (e.g., floor coverings, instrument panel skins, door panel skins, consoles, and pillars, etc.), and methods of producing same, are provided. According to embodiments of the present invention, vehicle interior articles include a top layer of recyclable polymeric material and a backing layer bonded to the top layer in face-to-face relationship. The top layer includes a blend of various recyclable polymeric materials and has a thickness of between about 1.6 mm and about 2.0 mm. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the top layer includes an interpolymer component having a composition of about sixty to eighty percent (60%-80%) ethylene and about twenty to forty percent (20%-40%) aromatic vinyl monomer, a polypropylene/ethylene copolymer component, a polypropylene component, a limestone component, and barium sulfate component. Various additional components including distilled petroleum products, zinc stearate, pigments, and regrind/recycle materials may also be used.
According to other embodiments of the present invention, vehicle interior articles include a top layer of recyclable polymeric material and a backing layer attached to the top layer in face-to-face relationship. The top layer includes first and second layers of recyclable polymeric material adhered together in face-to-face relationship. The first layer includes a first interpolymer component having a composition of about twenty to forty percent (20%-40%) ethylene and about sixty to eighty percent (60%-80%) aromatic vinyl monomer, a second interpolymer component having a composition of about sixty to eighty percent (60%-80%) ethylene and about twenty to forty percent (20%-40%) aromatic vinyl monomer, a polypropylene/ethylene copolymer component, a polypropylene component, a polyethylene polymer component, and a silicone component. The second layer includes an interpolymer component having a composition of about sixty to eighty percent (60%-80%) ethylene and about twenty to forty percent (20%-40%) aromatic vinyl monomer, a polypropylene copolymer component, a polypropylene component, and a limestone component.
The first layer has a thickness of between about 0.75 mm and about 1.0 mm. The second layer has a thickness of between about 1.0 mm and about 1.25 mm. Accordingly, the top layer has a thickness of between about 1.75 mm and about 2.25 mm.
Vehicle interior articles according to embodiments of the present invention may be used in a wide variety of vehicle applications including, but not limited to floor coverings, instrument panel skins, door panel skins, consoles, and pillars, etc. Vehicle trim panels embodying aspects of the present invention are thinner in cross section and, thus, are lighter in weight than conventional vehicle trim panels. In addition, trim panels according to embodiments of the present invention can achieve various performance characteristics including wear resistance, sound absorption, colorability, etc., that are superior to conventional vehicle trim panels. Moreover, vehicle trim panels according to embodiments of the present invention are environmentally friendly in that they can be recycled.